Studio Polpo is a Sheffield based social enterprise architectural practice, which works at the intersection of a number of disciplines to create objects, structures, research and initiatives that can be taken-on and built-upon by others. Their projects are underpinned by a desire to work towards social, environmental and economic sustainability. They work at scales from fixings and furniture, to new buildings, and the refurbishment of old or existing structures. Most of their work is in collaboration with others (artists, social housing providers, the NHS); and they believe that engaging with people from different disciplines and backgrounds makes work more interesting.

The workshop:

Studio Polpo will deliver a concentrated version of our OPERA project (https://vimeo.com/127019909) with students curating the workshop space to create a living space of sorts, but with a focus on highlighting spaces for everyday ritual. They might start with individual explorations mapping decisions, processes and special places throughout students’ days and then head toward the creation of objects and spaces (temporarily using available/waste materials). Alternatively it could be model-based but would be good to employ skills and techniques form the Fine Arts side.

This would tie in to how we as architects design domestic (and public space), and how arts and different types of thinking might allow us to focus of process, ritual (some links to recent Grayson Perry series for example) but also how arts-thinking might disrupt or inform architectural thinking